


Stuck

by hiatusactuallyreally



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M, Sexual Content, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-02-22 19:40:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2519489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiatusactuallyreally/pseuds/hiatusactuallyreally
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the kingdom under attack and in a dangerous position, Arthur is sent by his brother to a place he knows nothing about. There, he meets an annoying king who is supposed to take care of him until things get better in his kingdom, but of course, as he thought, things wouldn't be perfect. There was something deep inside telling Arthur things would only get worse, and that he would have to do more shameful things which would surely be much more than just smashing his own pride in front of the king with silly words. Dealing with that king's unreasonable demands was going to be harder than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The expression on the guards' faces when the king told them to stop was one of clear frustration. Well, it wasn't Arthur's fault that the king decided to take a happy ride to the city and include almost killing him along the way on his to do list, was it?! To start with, it wasn't as if Arthur even owed him any kind of excuses only because he was royalty. He could be dead now! If the king didn't want to excuse himself then at least he should just keep moving on, right? But no. It was already too shameful and nerve-wracking to have two big guards restraining him, in the middle of the village, and everyone telling them to throw him in the dungeons for such a disrespect, but... when the king decided to get up himself, things got different. It was difficult to hide he actually was a bit scared when he realised the king was even bigger, and probably stronger than the guards. 

The king walked towards him, and looked down. “Tell me, what is your name?”

Arthur didn't move an inch, just kept staring at him with a hostile look. Honestly, talking now wasn't his priority... he had just been a second from death; if the carriage hadn't stopped at that exact moment, he would probably be in pieces now. “You almost _killed_ me. Your fucking carriage almost took my life and you're asking my name?!” 

But it wasn't like his situation was any better now... with royal guards almost breaking him by how strong they were holding each one of his arms from different sides, he could be cut to pieces in less than a minute. Actually, thinking about that now... Arthur should probably have stayed quiet instead of giving such an answer. Or better, he should have answered what the king wanted to know once for all, if he really treasured his life that much. The guards' reaction to Arthur's answer was quick; they nimbly pulled a dagger and pressed it against his throat, both ready to cut right through it. That made Arthur let out a squeak, and his eyes widened in fear. Damn... those weak reactions weren't what Arthur wanted to show. He wanted to speak up and stand for himself, but, even trying, nothing came out. Noticing the other was probably too scared to say anything, the king made a gesture for the guards to let go of Arthur. 

“But, Your Majesty--” The king then interrupted.

“Just let him be. The boy is scared, can't you see? You have to be patient.”

The guards then put the dagger back in its place, but kept the hold onto Arthur's arms. The tone on the other's voice was tender, but the way he talked, as if Arthur were a child, didn't please him. One way or another, those daggers were enough to make Arthur think before doing something dumb again. 

A glare from one of the guards, and then Arthur realised he was still supposed to say his name. That was just ridiculous... being obligated to do something so stupid and common like that. He looked away. “...Arthur.” The tone was low, as if he didn't want the other to hear, but much for his dismay, he did. But then Arthur felt one of his arms being squeezed, as another warning, and after thinking of those blades, it didn't take long until he spoke up again, this time, in a louder tone. “K-Kirkland! Arthur Kirkland, alright?! Is that enough for you?!”

The king's eyes widened. That... how hadn't he noticed before?! Green eyes, blond hair... it was just not... what he was expecting. But he was Arthur, and that was all that mattered. “Take him to the carriage. And leave him to me, alone. He isn't any threat.” Right after that, the king turned around, and went to said carriage.

“Wh-What ?! He--” Arthur didn't even have time to complain. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. The guards lifted Arthur, quickly hopped onto the royal carriage and practically shoved him into it, going to the back of the carriage after closing the doors. 

“What the hell is happening?! Let me go!” He didn't understand anything. Had he done something wrong...? Alright-- perhaps insulting royalty as he did just some seconds ago could be considered something, but... it wasn't reason to lock him into a carriage and send him to death, was it? C'mon- it wasn't his fault that all that happened! It was true that he was the one on the way and he should have been a little more careful, but... he didn't know those streets. There was nothing he could do about it. 

“Hey, why don't you try to be a little less noisy...?” The king spoke up. Actually, it was more a way to call the other's attention; the noise didn't bother him that much. He could understand why he was acting like that.

Arthur kicked the door a few more times before realising the king was actually sitting next to him. He instinctively scooted away, afraid the king had asked to be left alone with him because he actually wanted to do something to him -he wouldn't doubt, after how he acted-, but on the other hand, he shot a small glare, though remaining cautious about him. “Let me go. I did nothing wrong.” The tone was firm, contradicting his previous actions.

Of course, the king ignored the request completely. “Alfred.” He said.

That was surely not what Arthur was expecting as an answer- and so, he blinked, losing the defensive position from before. “Huh...?”

The king let out a small laugh at his confusion. It was kind of funny to see the other go from defensive and hateful to confused and spacing out in a second, but he doubted the defensive and hateful position would take long to return. “You just said your name, didn't you? Arthur Kirkland.” The other seemed to understand things a little, so he kept talking. “I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur.” He winked at him.

That was possible the thing that could irritate Arthur the most at that moment. And what's with that guy?! Acting in such a way-- well, of course Arthur preferred him acting like that than doing anything bad to him, but still, that teasing was annoying. Especially in such a situation. The defensive position wasn't back, but the hateful, surely was. “ _Are you mocking me...?_ ” It was clear he wasn't really asking anything; that he was actually keeping himself from doing something dumb... even though if he did, he would probably be the one who would get harmed, considering the clear difference of strength there. “Well, it is surely _not_ a pleasure to meet you, Alfred.”

“Oh?” He asked, pretending to be baffled.

“What now?!”

“I was expecting something like 'I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I know who you are! I-I just... uh... of course it is a pleasure to meet you!', you know. The same reaction as always.”

Arthur then laughed, a laugh dripping with sarcasm. “What?! Hah, alright. If there were anything surprising in meeting you, who knows, huh?” He replied mockingly.

The way he was acting didn't annoy Alfred. It was actually... amusing. Kind of. If that were another situation, he probably would've taken that seriously, but it wasn't. “Being your king is not enough for you...?” 

The response was quick. “You're _not_ my king.”

Although, as it was quick, it was wrong as well. The king pulled something from his pocket. “Well... I'm sorry if this is bad news, but, now I am.” He handed that something to Arthur.

That something was actually... a letter. Arthur was ready to refuse it, but when he saw the seal, he instantly took it. It was... from his brother. However, instead of making him all sentimental, it kind of annoyed him. It annoyed him the way he so quickly took the letter after seeing it was from Allistor... but of course, it wasn't as he wanted to know about him. He just wanted answers. About why he was suddenly sent to that strange kingdom, or why hadn't anyone told him about that or explained him whilst he was there, even along the way. Or what he was even supposed to do there. Those were things the letter would probably be able to answer. And indeed, it was. Arthur began to read.

__

“Hey there, Alfred. Long time no see, huh? Well, asking for a favour is not the best way to start a letter, but that is not important; you owe me, after all. The thing is, the kingdom is a giant mess. And it will only get worse. We weren't expecting this kind of betrayal from our allies, but I guess things are not how we want to be. There's not much I can say or do now, though. It's already over. When you read this letter, it is quite probable I will be already dead. That is why, I need to ask you something. I will not lie; Arthur is my priority. He is the youngest of us, and regardless of how annoying and difficult he can be, it is my duty to protect him. In three days, he will arrive. He is a short boy with blond hair and green eyes, usually with a grumpy expression, it will not be hard to find him. Just take him with you to the castle... and please, take good care of him. He is a spoiled child, he wouldn't manage to live on his own, believe me. That's all I ask. Heh, I know I'm the one in bad conditions here, but knowing you will have to take care of Arthur, I have to say: Good luck, mate. I hope I can trust you.  
Now for Arthur... there isn't really much I want to say. Just obey Alfred. Do everything he tells you to do, and be sure to not kill him with your stupidity and annoyance. He is doing me a favour, after all. And he is still a king. Well... goodbye.  
Cheers, King Allistor.”

Well... that was... unexpected. There wasn't any expression on his face when he finished the letter, just an empty look, which kept staring at the letter even after finishing it. The king noticed it, and so he spoke up. Though, in a low, calm tone, as if to comfort the other.

“Hey, I'm sorry for your brother... I would've tried to do something about it, but--”

“No, it's all right.” Arthur said. “This is not important. I didn't like him anyway. We didn't even talk that much.” The way Arthur talked hadn't changed anything from before. It was so indifferent it wasn't difficult to convince Alfred. And by what Allistor had said about Arthur all those years, he didn't doubt that hadn't affected him. But about Arthur... There wasn't any deep sorrow because of that, but there wasn't any happiness as well. Just emptiness. There was just too much to process after reading the letter. The last part was what caught him, though. He didn't even lose time in asking how Alfred knew his brother- it was probably some diplomatic stupid thing. But doing everything he wanted?! Well... that was a request not only from his older brother, but from a king as well. And he was probably dead, so, it was important... besides, Alfred was a king himself. It was a thing he would be obligated to follow. Unless... “...Did you read the letter?”

Alfred blinked some. “Huh?” Was there something he couldn't read? Of course not... the letter was meant for him. There was the thing about the kingdom, then Arthur, and then... oh. Of course. That part. He should have guessed sooner. “Ah, yes... I did...” He said, and then, a smirk appeared on his face, and he turned to him. “...but even if I hadn't read the letter, you would be obligated to show me if I asked, wouldn't you?”

That made Arthur instantly close the letter, finally paying attention to the other, and growl lowly. “Hey, don't you dare...”

“Relax, relax. I'm not going to take advantage of it or anything like that.” He said, waving a hand dismissively.

Arthur eyed him suspiciously, before settling himself properly on the seat. It didn't take long until Alfred spoke up again, though.

“But now that you mentioned it... I would like to know what you have to say about before.” The smirk got back to his face. He really wasn't planning on taking advantage of that... but a bit of fun wouldn't make any bad, would it? He usually didn't need that kind of thing; people would obey him just by knowing who he was. That wasn't a difficult thing... but with Arthur? That surely would be. Just those minutes with him in the carriage were enough to make that clear for Alfred.

Arthur looked at him, blinking. “What do you mean...?”

It took a time for Alfred to speak again but that expression on his face did the work. It was enough to irritate Arthur and make him anxious more than the expected... it was clear it wasn't going to be a good thing. And after Alfred spoke, he was sure it wasn't. “...I'm Alfred. It is a pleasure to meet you, Arthur.” He repeated, though this time, with an amused tone on his voice. 

It took Arthur less than a second to answer that. “NO. That's COMPLETELY out of question! Are you stupid or something?! Th--”

“C'mon, Arthur... I'm waaaiting...” 

Arthur then leaned towards him, and shot him another glare. He stopped when he was just an inch from the other's face, in an attempt to look at least a bit threatening. “Stop with that childish tone. This is annoying. I'm not going to do that.”

It worked, but... Alfred knew he wasn't any threat. And so, he just kept staring with that hopeful, though amused smile. 

“I'm not going to do this.” He repeated. 

Alfred just kept staring.

“C'mon, really?! That's stupid!” Alfred, again, kept staring. It was not like Arthur had any choice-- it was an order. He could just ignore it, but... he just met Alfred. He didn't fully trust him... it was true that he was friends with his brother and his brother asked him to take care of Arthur, but... if he disobeyed him, as a king, there was nothing impeding him from making the guards torture him or perhaps even do worse things, if he got in a bad mood. He didn't know what kind of person he was. So, he took a deep breath, and then looked away.

“Damn, right... Uh... I-I'm sorry... I know who you are, I-I just... I-It is a pleasure to meet you...” He mumbled.

Before he could say anything, Alfred interrupted. “Are you sure you didn't forget anything...?”

Forget-- Oh, of course. God, he was annoying! “That isn't--”

“Speak loudly. And look at me while talking, yes?”

After some time, Arthur finally turned to him. Of course there was a clear red on his face, and not only it was because he was completely ashamed of having to do such a thing with his pride, but a big part of that red was because that guy was driving him crazy. And not in a good way. Even if just with a childish thing like that. What Alfred was expecting was not what Arthur said, though. “I hate you, did you know that?” He asked. The irritated expression on his face helped in showing it was actually true, and he was grateful for that.

But that didn't work. Alfred just laughed at him. It was still funny to see all that hate on him, really. Alfred just couldn't take him seriously. He didn't look like a threat, and indeed, he wasn't. He was just a boy who would be lost if his brother hadn't sent him to Alfred, which talking about, was the one in charge now. So, why take him seriously when like that? There was just no sense in it. “Yeah, yeah, right. Try again.”

Alright, better to get over with that once for all than just making it last longer, right? Right... “...Y-Your Majesty.” The first thing he did after that was look away, and move away from him as well, as after such a shame, he wasn't able to think of anything else to say. And with Alfred laughing louder, it was even harder to concentrate.

“See? That wasn't that difficult, was it?” All the laughing wasn't really helping, Arthur had to say. It actually just made the whole thing harder. But Arthur figured it actually was exactly what Alfred wanted. However, it wasn't that he wanted Arthur to feel uncomfortable... but teasing him seemed like a fun thing to do. Besides, never had hearing a simple, common honorific been so satisfying before. It was worth it. “I will make things easier for you, then. Instead of calling me Your Majesty, just call me Master, how does it sound?” Of course, the amused expression didn't leave his face. The whole thing was just getting better. 

Though on the other hand, an intrigued expression appeared on Arthur's face. “Wh-What?! That's even worse!”

The king blinked. “Oh, is it? Well... I guess I prefer the second one, anyway. Sorry about that.” He said, showing a smile.

Arthur glared at him, and another growl escaped his throat. He could only be kidding him...”You stupid--”

Alfred quickly interrupted him. “What did I just hear...? Were you... insulting me?”

“Hey, stop that right now! This is not fu--”

“I guess you owe me apologies, don't you?”

Alright, it was a promise-- Arthur was surely going to kill that guy. But for now, there was nothing he could do despite going on with that. Unfortunately. “...I'm sorry, _Master._ ” He said, huffing.

“That's good.” He replied. It was indeed fun to see him like that, but... Alfred didn't truly want him to hate him. It was just a joke. He did understand why Allistor liked to mess with him now, though... the way he reacted to those things was priceless. And the expressions suited him perfectly. But honestly, Alfred would very much rather seeing a smile there than a glare. Especially after those news... even that Arthur didn't seem to care a lot about that. “Alright, alright. This is just a friendly conversation. We can continue this later, alright? But c'mon, we are going to a castle, and you'll be able to do anything you want! Why don't you try to see the good part of all this?”

“I already lived in a castle, why would I be excited? I'm a prince. Didn't the letter make it clear for you...?”

Alfred blinked for some time before getting the message. He was right-- he was a prince! Oh God. That was kind of embarrassing... but he didn't think about that a lot. He just read the letter and went to get Arthur. But thinking about it now... Allistor was the king, and Arthur was his brother, so... oh well. Alright, that was surely embarrassing. He couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, and rub his back. “Ah, you're right... I'm sorry about that...” Was there any way to mask that?-- Think fast, Alfred! Anything-- “Uh... so... you're a prince, whoa! This is wonderful! I mean- I never met a prince before! I guess... there's my brother... but he is my brother, and he doesn't visit so often, so... it doesn't really count, does it...?” Alright, that just made the whole thing even more stupid.

However, after hearing all that, even after all that tense atmosphere and after being so angry at him, Arthur couldn't help but laugh. He had to admit, it was kind of cute. Getting all messed up like that, over such a silly thing. Especially for a king. Arthur could see he really made an effort to mask all that, but he just messed things up more, and honestly, that just made it funnier. He could forget what happened before... just for a bit. There was no way he could get angry with him acting like that, after all. “What are you even saying...?” He asked, but kept laughing. “Well... if we are talking about distance, I guess I never met a king before, then.”

The laugh was supposed to make Alfred nervous and embarrassed, but actually, it calmed him down. Of course he did blush a bit, but the relieved smile was more noticeable. It was good to know he actually made him laugh instead of glare or growl at him... and the genuine laugh, different from the sarcastic one, was actually very pleasing to hear. “Heh, I don't know...” He replied. But then he got what the other meant, and that bothered him a little. “Were you that distant from your brother...?”

Arthur then moved his gaze to the window, the laugh taking his time to stop, until he let out a sigh. “Well... not literally distant. It's just... we have never been close or anything like that. Our conversations always end up in fights and discussions, and I don't really stand him enough to try to change that. Neither does he stand me. Actually, he used to treat me very well when I was a child; to play with me, teach me things... But time passed, things changed. Now we kind of just avoid each other.” Alfred was silent. He wasn't sure of what to say... and he would think about something, but Arthur noticed that silence, and turned to Alfred, giving him a smile when he saw how he was looking at him. “Ah... I'm not complaining, or sad about it. I don't really want things to get back to how they were as well; it would be strange, you know? I'm used to it. You don't have to force yourself to worry over such a small thing.”

Alfred wasn't able to return the smile, though. It was true that Arthur said it was all right, but still... that seemed a little... lonely. It wasn't a thing to be happy about. “I'm not forcing myself to worry...” He said. “I just really feel like this is wrong.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean...?”

“You know. You have a lot of brothers...and I don't want to make things worse, but, you guys are supposed to be close to each other and support each other-- have good moments together and all that... not... just avoid each other or whatever. Those things are important!” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “They are not important. One can live without those things with no problems. I mean, why have someone to support you if you know you are able do anything you want anyway? Besides, you don't know what you are talking about. It's my family, not yours.”

“I've been a friend of the family for a long time. You're the only one who doesn't know me, for some reason...” He mumbled, although it wasn't really meant for the other to hear. It wasn't an important thing. The tone on Arthur's voice irritated Alfred. What he said clearly bothered him the most, but still- the tone was one of sneering. And he was talking serious. That was not funny. And Arthur's line of thought was just... ridiculous. “And you can't really do what you want...”

Arthur looked at him. “Well, of course I can.” He replied, simply.

“Well, no you can't. You have to obey me. Or have you already forgotten about it..?”

Did he have to remember that?! Well, it didn't matter- having to do what that guy wanted or not didn't change Arthur's capacity, and that was the topic now. “Good luck with _trying_ to make me do everything you want, then. Some stupid honorifics aren't going to kill me, I don't care about them. But I'm _not_ your pet. If you don't have enough things to distract yourself in the castle, that is your problem, not mine.”

Well... well. That was not the answer Alfred was expecting... he was being far more difficult to deal with than other people, and Alfred hadn't even spent two hours with him yet. But if he wanted to make things difficult, then, there was no problem. A little challenge sometimes wouldn't be that bad. “You will do everything I want. To be honest, eventually, you'll want to do it by yourself, I won't even have to make any effort. You'll see.” He said. “And perhaps you'll lose this stupid line of thought of yours, about closeness and care not being important. I hope so, at least.”

Want to do it by himself...? What did he mean with that?! That was senseless! Why would Arthur want to satisfy someone without getting anything back? Worse, why would Arthur want to satisfy him?-- Even getting something back, that was completely out of question. They hadn't spent two hours together and Arthur was already getting sick of him. “It is not stupid. It is just the truth. Those are unnecessary things.”

Alfred was ready to reply, but then, the carriage stopped. All that conversation made him completely oblivious to the fact they were close to the castle, but when the carriage stopped and he looked out of the window, he got up, opening the door and hopping to the ground. He turned around slightly, only to see Arthur slowly getting up, as if just then remembering what he was supposed to do, and processing the image of the castle. “You only say that because you don't know how it feels.” He finally replied, and that seemed to bring Arthur back to reality. Alfred then motioned to the gates, giving a small smile. “Well, let's go then, shall we?”

Arthur blinked at him once he realised he should have already gotten out of the carriage. Not knowing how that felt...? He was almost retorting, and he would've gotten angry, but, actually... Arthur wasn't sure if he ever felt the urge to protect someone, to want someone to feel good and relaxed, if he ever got genuinely worried about someone and felt like he needed someone... or if he, at least, ever got that kind of treatment from someone. And he wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not, either. All this time he thought about that as a futile thing that would just get on his way, and mess up things with unnecessary feelings. But... was there really something good in giving into that kind of thing? And if yes, how was he even supposed to get those good things? His lack of interaction with the outside world didn't help too much... if it weren't for his brothers keeping him in the castle practically his entire life, things would surely be easier. But that was not how it worked. Perhaps he should just... shove that idea away. Losing time with silly things like that wouldn't make him get to anywhere, right?

“Ah, yes... I'm going.”


	2. Challenge

After some time walking, they finally arrived the castle. It was already late, so, Alfred decided it was better to go straight upstairs, and that he would show Arthur the castle another time. It didn't seem like a good moment to do so, anyway.

Opening a door, he stepped into one of the rooms, then turned to Arthur. “And this is your room!” He beamed. “Well... to be honest, usually the guests would sleep here, but... everything is clean, it is not small and you have a bathroom as well, although it isn't really working now... but since you're here, I will take care of that tomorrow. So, it's not bad, right?”

Arthur entered the room, and took a look around. There was a small bed; not small to the point of not handling two people, for example, but not as big as his former. The same about the room. It wasn't nearly as big as his old room... but well... indeed, it wasn't that bad. He could live with that. The bed was next to a large window, what made things easier; Arthur liked that. He would be able to see the stars at night, and the curtains weren't of a dark shade, so he would have no problems in waking up. There was a small spot to write and shelf in the room too, with some random books. He was sure they had a library in the castle, but if Arthur wanted to stay alone or something happened between them, that surely would do.

“So, what do you think...?” Alfred asked once more.

Arthur sat on the bed, and after some time, looked at him. “It is not bad.” He said. ”I guess... it is enough to me for now. You already provided everything I would ask, anyway.”

Really, a 'thank you' would be appreciated. But if Arthur wasn't complaining... after such a day, that seemed to be enough for Alfred. “Alright, that's good!” He thought for a bit. “It's a little late... are you hungry? I can get something to eat if you want to... or if you need anything else...”

At least the bed was comfortable, he could say. But at the question, Arthur got up again. “Ah, no. I'm not hungry. Although... a bath wouldn't be bad.”

Alfred blinked. “Ah, sure!” He turned around and made his way to the door, then stopped and turned to look at Arthur. “You can use the bathroom in my room, if you want. I will be reading there soon, so, just go there whenever you're ready.” He said, then left.

Well of course... the bathroom wasn't working. Ah, there wasn't really much to do; he was tired, he just wanted to take a bath once for all and then go to sleep. So, it didn't take long for him to leave the room as well.

Once arriving the king's room, he knocked on the door.

There was no answer. Alfred was probably doing something else, like eating... but he would come back soon; he said he was going to read there, after all. Arthur wasn't sure if he should enter the room or not. Or if he should use the king's bathroom. He himself probably wouldn't accept that, someone else but him using his things or relaxing in his room... even in that case. Truth to be told, if Arthur were to think about his consideration for the other, he probably should have thought about this before. He _probably_ wouldn't accept someone but him using his things, but he _surely_ wouldn't let someone act the way he acted towards Alfred before, towards him. Thinking about that now, he didn't know how Alfred was being so patient with him and how he just let him be, talked to him normally and even offered his own room, while Arthur would probably have punished the person for acting or talking to him in such a way. One way or another, he said Arthur could go there whenever he was ready... and he would probably only make things harder for Alfred if he stayed there too long, so, Arthur entered the room.

Arthur was hesitant at first, but after entering, he couldn't help but going further. Alfred seemed to have much more comfort than he had at his own castle. He wasn't sure if that was because that was a king's room or because he did have more things than Arthur...

But that wasn't reason for him to make a big deal of that. He decided to just go to the bathroom and take his bath once for all.

.

Of course, after all that happened, Arthur couldn't help but feel tired. And because of that, he didn't even notice when he fell asleep during his bath. At first he was just going to lean back onto the edge of the tub and close his eyes... but it ended up being more than that. Perhaps... two hours more than planned. _Something like that._ It surprised him that Alfred didn't decide to take him out of there by force... or perhaps he did, and Arthur didn't even notice. Who knew.

He wrapped the towel around his waist after getting out of the tub, and soon left the bathroom.

Due to how long Arthur stayed there, now it was darker than before; the only sign of light was a dim lamp illuminating one of the corners of the room, but Arthur didn't dare to turn to there to see what was it. He had an impression that it was Alfred... and being seen like that by _him_ wasn't on the top of the list of things he wanted to do with his life.

However, there was no need for checking. When Arthur was about to leave the room, he heard something.

The king got up from his chair and walked towards Arthur. “You'll need more than this if you want to impress me.”Ah, of course. Of course Alfred would say something like that instead of asking something more important like why Arthur took _two_ hours in bath.

Arthur could have just glared at him and replied to that, though, but instead, he decided he would give into Alfred's little game. There wasn't any bad in it, right? So, he let a smirk take place in his face, and crossed his arms as he looked up at the other. “You have no idea of how many ways I have to impress you.”

Then the smirk that was on the king's face before disappeared, and he just stood there, looking at him. That response was completely... unexpected. Alfred was expecting to get Arthur blushing, embarrassed, to get a glare or a retorted response; anything but Arthur giving into his teasing. But he had to admit: that looked far more appealing. Arthur didn't even try to cover his body or to look away; he just stood there, implying something that Alfred hadn't even thought about before. However, now, there was something coaxing Alfred to continue with that, to get more of that side of Arthur. He wasn't really sure of why... at first, he seemed to be just cute and fun to mess with, like a pastime. But there was something... attractive, about him. Whether that was because of how he was now or because of his attitude, he didn't know. However, before Alfred could think more about that, Arthur spoke up again, interrupting his thoughts. “Although,” he said, “I surely wouldn't waste my time with you, and so, that is not the reason for why I am dressed this way. There were no clothes in the guest room. Have you ever considered that people, sometimes, wear clothes...?” He raised an eyebrow.

That emitted a chuckle from Alfred. 'Wouldn't waste my time with you'? Though Alfred didn't want to sound too convinced, Arthur must be really an interesting person if hanging out with the _king_ of the _most_ powerful kingdom and getting everything he wanted meant losing his time for him. Alfred leaned close, and held the other's chin between his fingers. “You know, Arthur... I am a very curious person.” He said. “I would be more careful with what you say. You don't reallywant to provoke me.”

The moment the other held his chin and leaned close, he paralysed. Arthur wasn't really sure of why... but it suddenly got hard to talk, or to simply reject him as he would usually do with anyone. Push him would be easy, really easy... but now that they were close, Arthur realised he hadn't noticed how _attractive_ the king was before. The colour of his eyes not only suited him perfectly, but talking about it, there was something different. The big eyes which at first gave the king a childish appearance weren't the same; it looked like he was more serious, and the expression... it wasn't childish. It could even get Arthur hypnotised, if wanted. Something that made Arthur want to look more. And whether that was because it was almost a hypnotic look or because the king was indeed attractive, it didn't matter; he really wasn't bothering with thinking now. Although the response he gave was more a stubborn one, instead of a flirting one, even that it looked like it, and so, he didn't move his gaze. “Really?” He asked. “I am curious as well. What will happen if I provoke you?”

“Things like...” He leaned even closer, and then tilted his head a bit, as if he were about to kiss him. However, before he did anything, he stopped, and looked at Arthur. His eyes had shut, and not in a hopeful way, as if waiting for the kiss to happen; it looked more like he was nervous about that. And he was. Not really afraid... it just... didn't feel right. Arthur was still afraid of the king, and he still didn't trust him. He didn't trust that he wouldn't just get Arthur and do whatever he wanted with him, being it either something for his pleasure or for Arthur's pain and the king's fun, it didn't matter. However, he didn't move even if just an inch. Because as said, he was still afraid of him. Afraid that if he disobeyed him, he would be punished-- because really, he could be a prince, but his kingdom was not in conditions to start another war. Especially if the reason of the war was one mere person. But at the same Arthur felt some kind of exciting feeling when he realised the king probably wanted to take him at that moment, even if it was just for the his own fun. And he felt that because the king was, indeed, incredibly powerful and attractive, and to show interest on Arthur out of all kind of people he could get –easier people, by the way--, it was kind of exciting. Even if it was just a bit of interest that happened just once, and merely physical. Besides, how could he move?! He would look like a complete idiot if he just ran away after challenging him. But... there was still _something_ that made Arthur not want anything with him. And it wasn't only the fact he didn't trust the king. It was something else.

Alfred noticed the nervous look on his face, though. Well... he could have taken Arthur if he wanted, at that very moment, but... he decided not to. It was not worth it. It was just some wish that sparkled in the heat of the moment... and Arthur probably already found Alfred idiot enough. He wanted to show Arthur he wasn't just a spoiled, childish king as Arthur probably thought he was; and to have _Arthur_ asking and wanting to be taken, and not like he was acting now. He wasn't sure of why he just began to think like that... but probably it was because Arthur was the only person he actually found himself having to prove something to. And if he had to convince him he was a good person and someone Arthur should be honoured to be talking to instead of disgusted, he would. It wasn't his priority, but it was still annoying to think that someone would feel disgusted to talk to him or having to bear with him as Arthur seemed to be. And that was just the beginning of all. Besides... for some fun, Arthur would surely do... but it was wrong to do something like that to him or to think like that about him, without having any consideration. With that, Alfred didn't continue; he leaned up. And then, placed a soft kiss on Arthur's forehead. “...this.” He pulled away, and then gave a small smile.

Arthur opened his eyes, and then blinked. “What?-- You're messing with me, right...?” Alfred just kept the smile, and that didn't help any. He didn't get it quite well... why did Alfred do that? A simple kiss on the forehead, when he could have done much more than that? He couldn't understand, something like that happening wasn't really common. And by that... he really meant it. If he were to count how many times they had to send guards or guests to the dungeons back in his castle because of how they treated him... he would most likely never stop. It just seemed like they never had enough. Every time they managed to get alone with Arthur, they would try to touch him, and even... do worse things. Nothing serious had ever happened. But it got really close to it. Arthur was the youngest member of the royal family of his kingdom, and he was the weakest of them, physically, so, if no one was around, it was easy to beat him. And honestly, he did call a lot of attention with his looks, compared to other people; but to risk their lives for it? That was senseless. It was insane. But even thinking like that, he still couldn't help but feel anxious about that. Of course it made him a little paranoid, and afraid of what could happen when alone with someone. People were extremely rough physically and verbally when he denied them, so, he didn't even want to imagine how things would be if they got what they wanted. Especially with Alfred- He was alone with him and he could just order the guards and other witnesses to stay away from them if he wanted to, there was nothing impeding him from doing something if he wanted. And it was clear he was ridiculously stronger than Arthur. Besides, it was not only the problem of Alfred being able to do horrible things to him, but what after it? There was nothing between them; it was not like Alfred liked him or anything like that, if those things kept happening, it would be just physical. So, if he did get something, he could just get rid of Arthur if he got tired of him. He was a king, after all. He could manipulate things easily, Arthur knew how those things worked. And it just got easier considering no one was taking care of Arthur besides him, and that at that moment, if he suddenly disappeared, it would hardly be noticed. Perhaps he was thinking too much about that for just one little thing that didn't even happen, but that kind of alarmed him. He got very confused when Alfred didn't continue, too, but he didn't know if he was glad or not. Everything was still a mess.

On the other hand, after dealing with the challenging and annoyed Arthur for hours, seeing him a little quieter, and confused like that, was actually cute for Alfred. He didn't know exactly why he was so confused, but judging by the way Arthur reacted and by how he himself would have probably done something if Arthur kept provoking him, getting interested so quickly, he had a _slight_ idea of why he was like that. “I'm not. Why do you say that? Things like this will really happen if you keep provoking me.” He turned around and walked towards the closet.

Arthur's eyes followed him, and he was still kind of surprised. “I don't know, I just...” He paused. Sure, he was glad that Alfred didn't go further, but he couldn't help but wonder if he just wasn't good enough for the oh-so-mighty king or something like that. Because Arthur was just too blind to see that the man probably just had at least a bit of consideration for him; Arthur didn't even consider that, though. There was no reason for Alfred to do something for him if he wasn't going to get anything back... “...You are not going to do anything?”

Alfred turned his head slightly to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Is this an invitation?”

Arthur's face, for some reason, got slightly red, and he shifted a bit with uneasiness. “N-No, that was just—”

“Then I won't do anything.” Alfred said firmly, then opened the closed and turned fully to Arthur. “You should wear something, don't you think? Go ahead, choose anything you want. They might be bigger than what you're used to... but at least it's something. I can get your size if you want, later on.”

Alfred's response made Arthur surprised, really. And the way he actually asked Arthur to wear something and just kept talking as if he weren't really into what happened before made him even more surprised. Perhaps he was wrong, and Alfred was a decent person, after all... or he just didn't feel attracted to Arthur and was trying to deny him in a gentle way. For some reason, both of the options annoyed Arthur, for what both of them were things he had never dealt with before. “Ah, don't bother with that... It is just clothing. I can wear anything...” Arthur looked away for a second, and then lowered his tone to a whisper. “ _or nothing at all...”_ That was clearly a shameless attempt to get Alfred's attention and see if he actually wanted something or not, but much for Arthur's dismay, it didn't work.

Alfred just blinked. “What?”

A small glare of annoyance, as Arthur made his way towards the closet. “Nothing...”

Alfred's eyes followed Arthur curiously, and he wondered, 'Have I said something wrong...?'

About the clothing, Arthur didn't want to look like a spoiled child, or impolite for choosing one of Alfred's fancy outfits. But then, the only thing left was a white dress shirt. It looked like he had no choice... it was long enough to cover his thighs, though, at least half of it, so, that would do for the night. He just took it from the closet. “Thank you.” He mumbled, and went back to the bathroom to dress the shirt.

When he got back, he stopped in front of the door, moving some as if to try get used to the shirt. “Isn't this too big...?”

Alfred peeked from the corner of his eye, and had to hold himself to not turn around at that very moment and show what he _really_ thought about how the shirt was. Alright, now Arthur was purposely provoking him, wasn't he? It was clear that was on purpose. All the moving and such. And with a not so long shirt, not only that, but a shirt that belonged to Alfred, being worn by him, Arthur probably knew things would be more effective. That was very inviting, and Arthur actually looked rather cute with such a big shirt on him. It dressed normally on Alfred, but on the other hand, it looked like Arthur had stolen that from some giant out there. And that didn't really offend Alfred, it was worth it if it meant to have such a cute view. However, he wasn't supposed to appreciate that... he didn't even know why he was thinking like that, again. And even with Arthur provoking him like that, Alfred noticed how nervous he got when they hadn't even kissed yet. He wasn't willing to make him uncomfortable like that again and look like the bad guy of the story. He figured it was just some kind of childish thing... he only had no idea it was because Arthur thought he was being rejected by him. But if he knew, he would probably only take advantage of that and make things funnier anyway, so it was all the same. He walked past Arthur, into the bathroom. “It's perfect, Arthur. You're only going to sleep, after all.”

Arthur pouted as Alfred walked past him. What did he even mean with 'only going to sleep'? Wouldn't it be perfect if he weren't going to sleep? – Right, stop, Arthur. That is already getting too childish and senseless. It wasn't like he wasn't good enough or anything like that... besides, it was good that Alfred didn't want anything, right? At least he wouldn't have anything to fear. Good for him... he never really wanted people to notice him like that, anyway. He was slowly brought back to reality as he remembered of how being noticed only for his looks could be troublesome... and scary, in a certain way. That was surely not a thing he wanted. He didn't need that kind of experience again.

Alfred soon got back holding some clothes. “What about your royal clothing?”

Arthur thought for a bit. “Well... I guess wearing it could bring me problems. I know I'm safe here, but I can't risk. If terrorists find out I'm here, God... I don't even want to think about it.” Plus, he wasn't home; it wasn't like he could do something to defend himself without his sword, bow, or having no significant power over the troops there. He wasn't easily recognised only by his face, since he wouldn't appear so often, only in important events held by his own kingdom, so, as long as he kept things low and looked like a normal person, things would be fine.

“You're right... so, should I throw it away?”

“I don't know... the chances I will wear it again are low. But I would like to keep it anyway, it is an important thing.”

Alfred gave a small nod. He wasn't really one to keep things like that just because they were symbolic or something... but he did understand Arthur. He didn't really know what he was going through... but he could understand a bit the other part. He kept the clothes in his closet; a place no one could actually open without his permission, different from Arthur's closet. Then, he turned to Arthur again. “So... I guess you're tired, right?”

For some reason, staying alone now didn't seem so appealing to Arthur. But it was not like he could do something about that... And it was probably nothing important. “Yes... I do.” He said, going to the door. “I guess I will sleep, then. See you later.”

Alfred was about to wish him a good night or something like that, but it seemed like Arthur simply didn't want him to; he closed the door right after he said 'See you later', and now, he was already gone.

//

Later that night, Alfred just went to sleep. However, Arthur didn't manage to do the same. All the lights were off, everyone was resting after another day of work. Everything was quiet, it was dark, there was a starry sky right next to him; the perfect atmosphere to sleep. But Arthur was still up. There was just no way to sleep; he had been rolling over for hours and hours, but nothing. Yes, he was still astonished at the fact the King probably wanted nothing with him, and that lead him to think of many things, but that wasn't the reason for why he couldn't sleep. Arthur didn't seem to be so affected by it before, because indeed; he wasn't. But now that he was alone, with nothing to distract him, nothing to do and no one to talk with... getting worried over those things was completely normal. He hadn't noticed how much of a problem he had brought with him when he came into this kingdom before. What about his kingdom? What about his people? Which even were the intentions behind the attack...? Worse: what about his family? They could be rather hateful towards each other, but they were still family. Not only what was happening was completely shameful to his pride and to his kingdom, but he would surely miss them. Even with the way they acted, and even though Arthur didn't really need that, they were extremely protective over Arthur. That was one of the reasons for why they sent him, after all. Arthur just couldn't sleep thinking about everything. He didn't even know if he wanted to stay there, or what he was supposed to do there. And he had an impression that his brothers weren't really in conditions to make him warm tea and talk to him right now... but it was just an impression. With a bit of sarcasm. The only person who could give him responses and make him stay a little at ease was Alfred.

And so, Arthur found himself standing in front of Alfred's door in no time. However, when he was going to knock, he stopped himself. Ah... he wasn't even sure of why he decided to go there. It seemed like his mind was betraying him; he was just suddenly craving for some kind of comfort. And although Alfred was annoying, he was the only person who could give it currently. Yes, he was... so Arthur should knock.

No, wait-- he shouldn't. It was late... he was probably sleeping now, he wouldn't want to talk to Arthur and do whatever he had to do to make him feel better at that point of the night... he was probably tired.

But then Arthur put his hand back on the door; he wouldn't tell him to go sleep when he needed him, right? He didn't seem to be that kind of person, he looked more like that kind of king that was always trying to make everyone feel happy and safe and help everyone. Otherwise, Arthur wouldn't be there.

But... he pulled his hand back again. Alfred had already rejected him earlier that day... and he wasn't even tired. Of course he would just send him back to his room. Besides, it would be embarrassing to ask him any kind of thing like that, especially after the way Arthur acted before, so grumpy. Ahhh... why was it so complicated?! That would surely take some time... it was better to think about that. It didn't take long until Arthur felt too tired to stand, and without noticing slid down to the ground in a sitting position against the door, and fell asleep.

//

Next morning, Alfred woke up the moment the sunlight reached his eyes. Well, the moment he noticed the sunlight had already reached his eyes. It was not late though, actually the servants weren't supposed to be up yet when he woke up, so, it wasn't any problem. However, even the servants not having to wake up in probably an hour, he did have work to do. A lot of work... only thinking about that made him feel the stress that was about to come. But there was nothing he could do about that. He got up, cleaned himself, changed into his royal clothing and got to open the door.

Everything was normal and fine, until he actually opened the door. When he did, the first thing he saw was an asleep Arthur falling onto his back, to the ground.

Ah, yes... there was Arthur. He almost forgot that detail. The previous day had been quite... agitated. Since Alfred received Allistor's letter, he had been waiting to pick Arthur up, and so, he was ready for that, but-- he wasn't expecting him to be like that. First of all, he was expecting him to have an intimidating appearance as well as his brothers, but his appearance was not any intimidating. Surprisingly, Alfred could bet that only seeing his face would make anyone want to squeeze those chubby cheeks; it was an automatic thought. He was not intimidating as a prince should be; he was pretty small, in both weight and height... and now, looking at him properly... Alfred could notice he had that almost that perfect although very messy hair- which actually suited him pretty well. The big green eyes which contributed so much to make the male look so cute... the thin mouth that just made him look even cuter, and even more when he looked so peaceful sleeping like that. And last, but not least; the pale skin. The pale and flawless skin which actually made him look as if he were a porcelain doll, along with all his other features. Yes, flawless skin... he knew that because he could see almost all of it. After all, Arthur was still wearing his shirt, which didn't even cover all of his thighs. And last night Arthur insisted on making sure Alfred _knew_ he was wearing that shirt, by trying to provoke him; again. That reminded Alfred; his personality was completely the opposite from his cute looks. The male was rather uptight, he liked to retort everything and turn everything into a challenge, for what Alfred had seen so far. And he was pretty stubborn as well. He didn't seem to recognise Alfred as his superior, too... and although all that annoyed him, he wasn't complaining at all. That wasn't even that bad. Everything was always too quiet, always the same... Alfred needed a change on things. Even if that meant having to tame him, what seemed to be a rather difficult job. But he would make it, surely would. Hefigured that any sign of submission coming from Arthur would be a hundred times better than coming from the other people as he was already used to. But that was just his childish side speaking; he still had his complicated and busy life to follow, and things to do.

So, he carefully picked Arthur up, and took him to his bed. “What are you even doing here...? Did you spend all night at my door...?” He mumbled in a question, a question that was actually meant for himself to think about, but Arthur heard it.

Although he heard it, he was still asleep, and Alfred could only hear some senseless grumbles coming from him as he turned around in the king's bed. 'He must be pretty tired... I wonder what is the reason for such a thing.' He thought, but then let out a small sigh and covered the other before going to the door again, leaving, and then closing it. He figured he would have to find out later.

Hopefully, Arthur wouldn't cause any troubles...

//

After an hour and a half, Arthur opened his eyes, slowly waking up after a night of pondering whether he should or not call Alfred. He was surprised to see that, actually, he didn't have to call him in the end. He was in his room. He sat up and looked around, a little confused. How had he even ended up there...? He didn't call him, did he...? Wait, did he end up-

He was about to remember what happened, but lost track of his thoughts when someone opened the door. It was a young lady; probably one of the servants, judging by the uniform. She didn't say anything, what was strange. Her eyes went straight to Arthur, and he could see she was starting to blush. He wasn't sure of why, until he looked down at himself and remembered of the shirt. Yes, she probably knew who he was. And yes, she probably knew that was Alfred's, and not his. Then he realised; the fact he was on the king's bed, waking up, probably only made things worse.

The deep red on his face didn't help any, neither did the way he acted so nervous after realising what she thought. He waved his hands almost that frenetically. “W-Wait, this is not what you--”

The interaction only made the girl more uncomfortable, and she gave a rather exaggerated bow before leaving. “I-I'm sorry, Your Highness! I-I will come back later!” She said, and then finally left.

Arthur just kept staring at the door, blinking and blushing. Did everything have to go wrong?! C'mon, Alfred!

Ahhh...

  


 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKS FOR READING!  
> This took me so long... please leave kudos and comments if you liked! They motivate me to keep writing and I just love reading comments so much!  
> Updates will be posted on my Tumblr: engwaand


	3. Strange Sweetness

Arthur didn't want to go out after that. That girl probably already told everybody about that thing –that didn't even happen--, and he was already being badmouthed. He didn't care about the gossip that much... but they were probably thinking something embarrassing. Something that even happening, shouldn't be told to everyone. Not that it was an option-- he wasn't going to do anything of that kind with Alfred. _Ever._ Even though he was quite attractive, and his voice had that luring tone, which in all honesty Arthur would love to hear while-- no. Stop it, stop it... That was senseless. He was probably starting to think stupid things because of how embarrassed he was... that was just it. He wouldn't let Alfred make him fall like that for him as he probably made everyone in that kingdom. He was more than that, and more than 'everyone in that kingdom'-- And surely _more_ than Alfred. Yes, he couldn't forget that... One way or another, he figured he would just stay there until Alfred came back. If that servant told people about that, it was quite probable no one would enter that room anymore, so, it was the best to do at the moment. Not thinking about anything else, just... staring at the wall or something. That would do... it had to, after all.

 

 

/

 

 

“Yes, I'm sure! He was waking up in The King's bed!” Said a servant.

“What?-- Are you sure he was _waking up_ in his bed? He could have just invaded his room or som--”

“I'm _sure_ he was. His hair was all messy and he had that tired look, and he was all cozy under the blankets- it was cute, and it would be somewhat attractive _if_ he hadn't woken up in The King's bed! They clearly did something last night!”

Alfred couldn't help but listen to the conversation between the two girls. There was just no way to focus with all that noise, and so, he got up and walked towards them, abruptly interrupting them. “I apologise for hearing the conversation, but I have to say this is a misunderstanding. Prince Arthur simply had a rough night, and I figured he should rest in a proper and comfortable bed instead of the one in his room. I wasn't using it, since it was morning, so I saw no problems. Are there any other misunderstandings or...?”

The girls yelped when Alfred approached, not noticing him before. They blushed when they realised Alfred was actually hearing-- not only because it was embarrassing, but too because they had disrespected him and too because he was talking about that so openly. But of course, even thinking it wasn't just a misunderstanding, they couldn't give retorted answers. The only thing they could do at that moment was say 'no' with their heads, and then Alfred offered a smile.

“Good. Now get back to work.” He said, but only when they were leaving he noticed they were actually servants-- Sure, he knew they were servants; after all, they were his servants. But he only noticed then that they were already up. That meant it wasn't lunch time yet, but some time had passed and Arthur probably was already up as well. And he still had no signs of him, despite from... the misunderstanding. Alfred figured the other was probably not willing to leave the room with such a thing going on, but he had to admit, that was kind of his fault. And he had to apologise himself in some way. He looked at the door, and there was still one girl that hadn't left. He called for her before she could leave, and she looked at him, blinking.

“Yes, Sir...?”

“I want you to get me breakfast. Actually, prepare...” He said, and then made a thoughtful face.

The girl was a little confused, because she was sure the king had already had breakfast that morning, but she didn't say anything.

Alfred wasn't sure of what Arthur liked. They hadn't talked about that... and he only then realised they probably had a really bad start. Hadn't he asked what Arthur liked?-- God, what a horrible way to receive someone! He had never let someone feel uncomfortable or unwanted like that before... what could have gotten on the way? He could just ask the girl to prepare anything, but that wouldn't be a proper apologise. He figured it would be better to give him everything than giving him things he didn't like. “Prepare a good tea, coffee, and get some juice as well. Actually, three different flavours of juice and tea. And to eat... I guess some scones wouldn't be bad. Fruit and bread too... and anything sweet you have. The best sweets. If you could make it quickly, I would be grateful.”

Make it quickly?-- How was she supposed to make a meal for a family quickly?! Who was even going to eat all that? Members of royalty usually ate a lot but Alfred had already eaten today... She gave a worried smile. “May I ask for who you are asking all of this, Your Majesty...?”

He returned the smile. “Arthur.”

Her jaw almost dropped. Alfred answered in such a carefree way-- and right after he had heard them talking about Arthur and Alfred having a thing...? Sure. Either he was indeed a little oblivious or they were indeed having something.

Alfred blinked. “Is there any problem...? I can ask someone else if you--”

The girl waved her hands frenetically. “No, no! I will take care of it! I just need some time... Like...” God that would be hard. But if that was for Arthur, and especially if that was a surprise, she had to make sure it would be ready before Arthur decided to get out of the room. She would do everything she could, but it would still take some time. “Half an hour. Give me half an hour and I promise I will bring everything here for you Sir, it will get perfect!”

Half an hour was a lot... but he figured it was his fault. If he had asked about what Arthur liked, he would know what to ask and the girl would take less time. So he sighed, with a small smile, and gave a nod. “Thank you. I appreciate it. I will be waiting here.” He said, and then got back to his chair, to finish his work.

The girl soon left and went to the kitchen. In all honesty, she was willing to make everything get perfect. That was because, even though Alfred said there was nothing going on, it just looked like there was. She had never seen Alfred worrying so much over a guest or even over a girl who he was supposed to stay with-- Alfred probably hadn't realised how much effort he was putting into simple apologies, but he was putting a lot. And that didn't seem to be a bad thing. He was never the kind of King who smashed his servants or people; he didn't even ask that much of formality and always gave them good things. He even acted like he was just a friend or someone from their family, sometimes. It was good to be around him, it had a good atmosphere. And she was sure every servant and person thought like that as well. So, if that was going to be a good thing and if Alfred was enjoying whatever that was happening, she would do whatever it was needed to make it work. It was hard for Alfred to get interested in someone, so... if that was really what was happening, that was a rare case. And it needed attention. Especially if Arthur was such an incredible person- because really, to make _Alfred_ get the littlest interest over him in such a small amount of time... he had to have something special. Or perhaps just an incredibly attractive way. Perhaps both... who knew? Perhaps she was just thinking too much about that.  
  
For now, it would be better to focus on the food.

 

As promised, after half an hour, she came back with a really big tray, containing all Alfred had asked. It was incredible. Alfred didn't know how to thank her, but he figured he would start by taking the tray from her before she couldn't take it anymore and everything fell and spilled on her. He gave her a bright smile after doing so. “This is perfect, thank you! I'm sure he will appreciate it as well. Thank you again!” He said, and then, hurriedly left.

The girl just sighed, wondering if everything would be okay, and then eventually, she got back to her affairs.

  


/

  


Arthur was already getting bored. He had rolled over several times, waiting for the time to pass and someone to enter the room, but no one came, and time was passing slowly. He had rolled so many times he now was in a completely inverted position; turned to the wall, his feet on it and head on the bed. It was the most entertaining thing he could find to do. The embarrassment was slowly fading, though... perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to leave the room and look for Alfred around the castle to give him a punch or something like that. However, when he sat up properly, the door suddenly opened.

It was Alfred; who somehow managed to open the door with that _giant_ tray, and then shut it with his foot. He walked towards the bed, and then stopped in front of Arthur, giving him a wink. “Room service?”

Arthur peeked over the tray. He couldn't quite believe it-- had Alfred asked all of that just for him?! Just for the breakfast?! Why all that effort? Arthur was rather hungry after not eating last night, so, he really wouldn't refuse anything! Was Alfred always so exaggerated...? Ah. He wasn't complaining at all. It kind of made him feel good, knowing that Alfred thought so much about that. It made him feel a bit special, in some kind of a way. But that didn't matter; Alfred had still made a mistake. And because of him, everyone thought he had sex with him! He had just arrived-- that would make him look so unworthy! Besides, he had never done anything like that-- it was senseless to think like that! Damn Alfred. Arthur glared at him. “I didn't ask for it."

Really... was there any way to surprise that guy?! Or to make him laugh? Smile? Anything?! If Alfred found out, he really did deserve a prize! Hah, but whatever. He could notice Arthur's hungry look when he checked the tray, there was no way to hide it. He was probably just... embarrassed, or something like that. And Alfred had to keep up his attitude; otherwise, the whole atmosphere would get tense and he would most likely never get anything from Arthur. So he placed the tray on Arthur's lap. “C'mon, don't be so uptight. Why don't you eat a strawberry, hm? You'll like it.” Alfred hummed, picking up a strawberry and holding it in front of Arthur with a silly smile.

Arthur backed off a bit when the other held the strawberry in front of him, and showed an offended expression. “You caused me problems. I'm not happy with you.” He said, but soon the glare got back. “And I'm not going to eat this strawberry or anything like this, so just ta--” Then his eyes widened. Alfred had completely ignored him; he pressed the strawberry up to his lips, and then shoved it into his mouth.

He didn't really mean to do that, but it looked like if he didn't do it, Arthur would just keep complaining and never have his breakfast as he was supposed to. So he just had no choice. He did keep his smile, though, and waited as Arthur ate the strawberry. “So? Isn't it good?”

Indeed... that was good. It was incredibly sweet, and Arthur just loved sweets. Especially when he was hungry like he was. But he just softened his expression a little, deciding not to give up so easily, and then huffed, blushing a bit when he finished. “Whatever...” he mumbled. “Just don't do that again.” Really, who Alfred thought he was to shove something down his throat?! The _king?!_ That was not any justification. He was crossing the boundaries. 

Alfred laughed, then began to arrange the things in the tray. “Really, all this grumpy way of yours is adorable. But I would like to see you smiling more.” 

Arthur wasn't really sure if that was a compliment or not... but he decided to remain quiet. If Alfred really did want to see him smiling, then he would have to give him a reason for it. But he doubted that was a relevant thing to him, anyway.

Seeing Arthur wasn't going to say anything, he continued. “And what kind of problems have I caused you, if I may ask...?” He asked, then stopped and looked at him for a second. “Tea, juice or coffee?”

Suddenly Arthur wasn't so embarrassed anymore, and then he remembered the main reason for why he was angry at him. “Are you really going to ask this?” He crossed his arms, not really believing that.

Alfred just shrugged and nodded. He knew the reason, surely did. But he figured he wasn't going to get Arthur to talk to him if not like that, so he kept up with that.

Arthur stared deeply at him. Deeply, but not fondly. It was clear he was getting annoyed already... but Alfred had to say, that didn't really surprise him. “I'll give you a hint.” He said, slowly, and pausing even though it wasn't necessary; as if Alfred was a kid for who he had to give a hard explanation. “I'm in your bed.”

Alfred didn't look offended by the way he talked at all. Instead, he actually showed a smirk at the opportunity of the response. “That doesn't look like a problem to me...”

Arthur blinked. That wasn't the response he was expecting--rather, what did Alfred even mean with that? He was going to just ignore it and go on, but then, when he noticed the smirk on the other's face he realised it. The other wasn't only saying he didn't have any problems with Arthur being there. Of course not; he was probably the one who put Arthur there, after all. Alfred was a lot smarter than he appeared to be. He wasn't dumb. And Arthur wasn't dumb as well... and that was the reason for the sudden red on his face. “A-Are you stupid?! Stop joking around, I'm talking about a real problem! Your servants think we had sex last night and this is all your fault because you decided to put me here out of nowhere!” The tone was louder than before. It didn't even look like Arthur, but then again, even seeming to be reserved, he did look like a loud person after all. In some things.

“You are really loud, aren't you...?” Alfred stopped what he was doing for a second, and couldn't help but lean towards the other. “If that's the problem, I can solve it as well...” He didn't know why, but he did lean closer. And he did try to kiss Arthur. He was just... incredibly attractive and he couldn't help it; he just didn't want to lose an opportunity when he got one. He wasn't doing anything strange, anyone would do that if given the opportunity. But... that was the problem. He didn't know why either, but... Arthur did reject him.

It took a time for Arthur to understand that, again, what Alfred had said had another meaning. He wasn't going to solve the fact they _thought_ they had sex. He was going to solve the fact they _thought_ they had sex when they _didn't_. The only thing he was going to change was the last part. And while Arthur was spacing out and finally realised what Alfred meant, he was already only an inch from his face. The prince felt his heart skip a bit when he noticed how close they were, and God, how he wanted to just let Alfred solve that problem for him. But... no. That happened with everyone. Why was Alfred doing that? Because he wanted to do him, of course. But there was probably not any other reason, as always... and that was just horrible. Arthur just wanted to know what made them thought it would be so easy, and what gave them the right to just go and do those things without asking Arthur first. Honestly, as much as he wanted to let Alfred do that, Arthur knew it was just because of his appearance as well. Just because he was so hot and that voice and those muscles and those eyes and that attitude were so-- oh God. He was sure he would regret doing something, later... and even if he weren't going to regret it later, he just didn't want to do something like that so casually. It would be meaningless, and he didn't want that. Mainly because, so far, his experiences with that kind of thing were so bad and he felt like he would never get someone to actually like _him_ , instead of his appearance or status. And Alfred was just being as everyone and... that was unbelievable. That was disappointing. He didn't look like that at first, but if he was, Arthur didn't even want to talk to him anymore. At that moment, Arthur instantly leaned back and put his hand in the other's face to gain some space; not punching him or anything like that, because if he did, he would most likely be finished right there. “What do you _think_ you are doing?!” He asked, and then glared at him. “God, you are disgusting!”

Alfred, however, couldn't get more offended. Not only he hated when he was rejected,-- because he was _never_ rejected, and if someone did that, there should be a good reason... but the problem was Arthur's constant change of mind. He was confusing him! One moment he was all confident and implying a lot of things, and the other he was getting away from Alfred because he was actually trying to do what Arthur wanted! “Disgusting?” The king stood straight. “You didn't seem to think like that when you were practically throwing yourself at me last night.”

Arthur could notice the sudden change of mood in the other. And he knew he was responsible for it. But he just couldn't feel guilty... Arthur _would_ be all confident and be like he was being last night, or even better, but only if there actually was something going on between them. But not anything. Something more than just that. “You wouldn't care if you wanted nothing with me.”

The king raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was obvious I want something with you.” He said. “But if you find me 'disgusting' and didn't want anything, you shouldn't act as if you wanted.”

Yeah, well, that was obvious. And it was probably even more obvious that Arthur wanted something with him as well, but that didn't matter. There was a huff, and then Arthur leaned back, facing the ceiling. “That is not what I meant!.” Arthur gave him a side glance, almost imperceptible, and began to inspect him. “I do find you... kind of... attractive.” _Incredibly_ attractive. “But that is not the point. If you keep thinking as you are thinking now, and I _know_ how you are thinking now, then I don't even want you near me.”

Thinking as he was thinking?-- What was the problem with feeling attracted for someone and wanting to take that person, just for once? Just a kiss, at least...? There was nothing abnormal with that. At least not from his point of view. From his point of view, Arthur was just being confusing... and completely ungrateful for everything he had been doing so far. “That's stupid.” There was a sparkle of annoyance and disapproval in both his tone and expression, and Arthur clearly could notice that. Alfred just turned away and crossed his arms. “Go on, finish your breakfast so I can take these things away once for all.”

Arthur's eyes widened a centimetre at the comment, and he sat up straight. So that was it?! It just took Arthur not wanting to kiss him and all that care and smiles from before were gone?! Usually it took more than that. Really, that was just ridiculous. _Alfred_ was just ridiculous. His eyes narrowed in hostility, and he instantly got up, going to the door. “I don't want it.”

He didn't want it?-- Now Alfred was the bad guy. See? Ungrateful. Completely ungrateful. Alfred turned to him. “Hey, you are being childish. That was really troublesome to make, you shouldn't waste it just because of such a stupid...” Arthur just ignored him and kept walking, until he reached the door. It was just making Alfred more stressed, and he knew if he didn't stop him he would just leave, so, out of impulse, he went after Arthur and then grabbed his arms, making him turn around so he was facing him, and then narrowed his eyes at him. “I am talking to you, Arthur. And I gave you an _order_. You will go back, finish your breakfast, and then you will quietly go to your room. Understood?”

In the moment Arthur was forced to turn around, he froze. Against his will, his body began to shake with fear. There was too much strength... a little more and he wouldn't be exaggerating if he said the other could break him. And everything was just getting worse; it wasn't just the pain and the sparkle of despair after the king intimidated him like that, it was more than that. He didn't know Alfred was capable of doing such a thing to him if he didn't get what he wanted, and now... he knew he was stuck with someone like that, and that his life practically depended of him. But he managed to keep his composure; he had to. Trying to get out of that struggling wouldn't solve anything, Alfred already proved he could beat him out whenever he wanted to... Arthur just couldn't let him think he had the right to do so. And he knew he could regret his next response forever, depending on how angry Alfred was, but... it was not like he had any choice. It took all he had left, when his body stopped shaking, to say what he said next, but he did.

“ _You_ gave me an order?!” He then laughed. “Hah, sure. Here's the news: _I don't follow orders._ Never followed, never will. And I don't care about who you are or what you want, little king. _Get away from me.”_

The next moments felt like an eternity; for both of them. Alfred hadn't realised how much strength he used until Arthur began to shake. And when he saw that, he wasn't happy; he wasn't feeling good because he was successful in intimidating him. Actually, he was aware that was probably the worst thing he could have done. Arthur was already quite distant and complicated; and when Alfred had one simple task to make him feel comfortable and make him get closer, he scared him? God... that was not the only thing he was worried about. He felt worried about Arthur; he felt how he was feeling and that was just horrible. Alfred didn't mean to do that, it was out of impulse! Although he never really demanded authority when not necessary, he was just not used to people challenging him or rejecting him, or acting as if they were equal to him. He didn't think they weren't, that was not what he meant. He just wasn't _used_ to that. And Arthur doing that... it was just... he didn't even know. It was confusing and stressing. But he really didn't mean to do that. And he proved that by letting go of Arthur in the moment he realised what he was doing. It wasn't a matter of power, of submission, of hierarchy; it wasn't anything of that sort. Things were just beginning to get too confused... but then again: Arthur. Yes, there was Arthur... When Alfred looked at him again, he was still there; paralysed, staring back at him; as if he were just too shocked too move. Alfred figured it was because Arthur didn't actually believe he would just let go of him, and indeed, that was the reason. He thought he would be dead at that moment. But he wasn't, he was right there, in front of Alfred, and Alfred had to do something; try to speak to him, try to apologise, try _anything._ So, he took a step forward, and reached for him.

“Arthur, I didn't mean to act like that, I just--”

“D-Don't touch me!” The prince was quick to react, getting away from Alfred, but the voice came out more as a scared squeak. He didn't mind, though, and just clumsily searched for the doorknob.

Alfred stopped moving when he got that reaction, although that just worried him more. Good, now Arthur was afraid of him. That was just perfect. He tried again. “I am really sorr-”

“Don't touch me, don't get near me, don't even talk to me.” God, he never thought finding a doorknob would feel like the best thing that ever happened all his life, but it felt like it. And when he did, he quickly opened the door. “You are _really_ disgusting.” Was the last thing Arthur said before he got out of the room and slammed the door in his face.

And Alfred couldn't blame him. Or follow him; he didn't have the right to do so. At least not now. He couldn't even get mad at Arthur or say he was making a big deal of something small, because he knew he was wrong... and he knew if he were in Arthur's place, he would feel scared as well. Ah... everything was going wrong. He didn't even know anymore. Arthur would need some time... and although Alfred was feeling a bit anxious about all that happened, he would give him so. He had a lot of things to do, after all... and the work wasn't going to do itself.

The king took the tray along with everything that was in it. That was meant to be for Arthur... and for a moment, he forgot he didn't bring him that to get a kiss or anything like that. He brought him all that food because he knew Arthur was hungry, and he wanted to make sure he would enjoy his meal. He didn't know what he liked, so, to make sure of it, he just brought everything once for all. Because he wanted to see him smiling for once, sincerely, since Arthur didn't really seem to be a happy person. He didn't know why he was worried about Arthur being happy or not, since he was just supposed to make sure Arthur would have a place to sleep and things to eat... he just did. And now Arthur was scared of him. Still, scared or not, Arthur surely was hungry. And if Arthur hadn't realised that yet, he would when he found himself alone, with nothing to do. So, regardless of what Arthur said about not wanting the food, Alfred figured he would want that one way or another. However, Alfred delivering it himself was probably a bad idea... it would be better to ask a servant to do that.

After getting out of the room, that was what Alfred did. And then he prepared himself for a long day of work.

 

 

//

 

 

It was just impossible to concentrate. He couldn't help feeling guilty for what he did before, and he knew he was. Of all problems he had to worry about, why was Arthur the one who kept him from thinking about other things?! It was just someone who he had to take care of, and it wasn't even because he offered himself to do so, it was because he owed someone, so what was happening? In fact, Arthur just had everything to make Alfred anxious like that; the way he acted, the way he talked, the way he thought, the way he reacted earlier... it was all a surprise. Too different from what Alfred was used to, but he wasn't sure if he hated that. He just didn't know how to deal with that... yet. But if that was going to get on his way like that, he had to do something about it. He was worried about how Arthur was feeling as well, but the fact that was affecting Alfred himself so much was an excuse to not just sit and wait for Arthur to settle himself with all that. So, when night fell, the first thing Alfred did was leave everything he was doing behind and run to Arthur's room. He didn't even knock before entering, because he knew if he did, Arthur wouldn't let him in. When he opened the door, he saw the other in his bed, jumping a bit with a startled expression on his face; probably because Alfred entered so suddenly. The expression didn't change when he realised it was Alfred though, and that was a thing that saddened Alfred. Arthur just kept staring at him, silent.

He closed the door. “Arthur, I...” What should he say? I'm sorry? Would that be effective?-- No. There had to be a more effective way to get through Arthur... not only to get Arthur to forgive him, but to actually get closer to him and then solve two problems at once. Showing him he wasn't going to do anything against his will was probably a good way to start after trying to force Arthur to do something... “May I approach...?”

“No.” The response was instantaneous- it was almost scaring how Arthur answered so quickly, and the way he kept staring into his eyes without moving an inch. Alfred wasn't sure if that was because he was too frightened to do anything or because he was actually really determined... but that wasn't a good time to analyse such things.

“Right... uh...” he frowned. “May I talk to you, then...?”

“No.”

Neither of them looked away, and there was silence for some seconds, until Alfred decided to speak up again.

“Arthur, I really need to--”

“I said you can't talk to me.”

What?-- But he wasn't really-- That was going to be difficult.

So trying to explain himself wasn't an option... but he was as stubborn as Arthur. He was there for a reason, and leaving like that would just be senseless. He needed to talk to Arthur, and Arthur needed to listen to him. So, he leaned back against the door, crossing his arms; as a sign he wasn't going to leave the room. They just stared at each other, for long minutes, until Arthur got too uneasy to just stay like that and decided to listen to him.

“Fine. I guess I can listen to you for a bit... even though you don't deserve so.”

“I know I don't.” He approached Arthur some, and seeing Arthur wasn't really keeping him from doing that, he decided to try and sit on the bed. That seemed to startle him a bit, but on the other hand, disappointed Alfred. He remained there anyway. “Look... you don't have to be afraid of me.”

Arthur gave him that look that probably would've been a sarcastic comment under other circumstances, and Alfred sighed.

“Arthur, I am not going to do hurt you. It is just that you are really...” How could he put that? “You act in away I'm not used to, and I just couldn't control myself. I promise this is not happening again. I was just a bit out of myself...” Then Arthur suddenly interrupted.

“That's not just the fact you used force. You went all grumpy on me just because I didn't want to kiss you... and knowing you just welcomed me well because you wanted something from me just makes me really...”

The king interrupted. “I do find you attractive. I wanted to kiss you, and I would even go further if you allowed me to.”

Arthur couldn't help blushing a bit, but even doing so, he was still not satisfied with that. “That is not really help--”

“But that wasn't the reason for why I brought you breakfast, let you sleep in my room, accepted to take care of you or anything like that. Your brother played a big part on making me accept that, but I don't really have to do any other thing besides that. I'm not being forced to do anything. I just decided to treat you well because I thought you deserve so, and I was worried over you.”

Arthur frowned. “Why would you be worried over me?”

Alfred just shrugged. “I worry over my people.”

“I'm not 'your people'. I'm not from here, I have nothing to do with you.”

Well, that was true. But Arthur clearly couldn't take care of himself alone, especially now that he was far from home, and there was just something in Alfred that made him want to help the other. “I don't know then. I just did. Is it really such a bad thing to have someone to look after you or care about you...?”

“It's not, I just--” He couldn't even complain about that and say it didn't really look like Alfred cared about him; he was sure another person wouldn't have done even if just half of what he was doing. They probably wouldn't even talk to him, and just see him as a burden they had to carry. Thinking about it now, perhaps he was being a little ungrateful. And perhaps Alfred didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

“Sure... I guess I overreacted a bit...” If Alfred hadn't been acting like he was, Arthur wouldn't forgive him so easily. But his life depended of Alfred; that was a risky thing and Alfred didn't even make Arthur think like that was. He was actually comfortable there, so there was just no way to blame him.

Alfred was relieved to know that Arthur wouldn't hate him for the rest of their lives. And to get an almost sorry from Arthur, it was surprising. He didn't look like the kind of person who often admitted his errors. But Alfred wasn't going to complain about that. Instead, he smiled. Taking that further probably would only make it worse, and Alfred already managed to make things a little better, so, he figured he would just try to make Arthur forget what happened. He ruffled the other's hair, and then got up. When he was about to reply, though, the other's stomach growled. Arthur couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, but for his relief, Alfred didn't seem to care about that.

“Did you even eat something today...?” The king asked.

Arthur just shook his head.

Well, Alfred figured Arthur wouldn't eat. He was probably too busy sulking... which even troublesome was quite amusing. He thought for a bit, and then an idea sparkled. “Why don't you have dinner with me today?”

Arthur blinked. “What? Wouldn't that appear strange...? I mean, I may be a prince but for everyone here I'm just a normal guest...” Alfred had already prepared that breakfast for him, in bed-- or rather, in _his_ bed. But now having dinner with him?- That was a far more formal thing. It was different.

But Alfred just kept that smile from before and shook his head. “I will take care of everything. You just take a bath and relax, alright? I will ask someone to get extra clothes for you and call you when everything is ready.”

The thought of a bath and right after having a dinner that wasn't actually just some delivered food that the others didn't want, as he was supposed to get, was actually relaxing, and he could forget something even happened between them for a moment. “If you say so... I guess it will not be bad.”

Alfred turned around, glancing at him just once more before leaving. Well, the invitation didn't make him smile... but Alfred definitely would make him smile genuinely. Eventually. “Good! See you in some hours, then.”

Arthur nodded in response, and with that, Alfred left.

He didn't really know what to expect. Everything was just too different, if it weren't already hard not having any power over anyone there, and knowing he was just a simple guest, then he had to fight with the person his life depended of. But that wasn't the worst. For some reason he just thought Alfred deserved another chance, even if he wouldn't give another chance to anyone else. He just figured Alfred would make good use of it, and for some reason he just didn't want to stay in bad terms with him forever. And honestly, Alfred was already making good use of it-- it didn't matter what he was going to come up with, but, a dinner?! With Arthur?- That wasn't any excuse to discuss anything. It wasn't diplomatic. And Arthur wasn't part of his family or anything. It was just... a dinner. Kings weren't supposed to do that, but when Alfred did he just felt kind of flattered.

Now feeling flattered because someone invited him to something _surely_ wasn't like Arthur. God, he just didn't know what was happening... but even with what Alfred did before, he was being extremely different from any other person that ever had any kind of contact with Arthur. His experiences weren't really good to say something... but that was exact the point. That one wasn't being bad; Alfred wasn't making it bad, and Arthur just couldn't understand why. He just couldn't understand why he hadn't already ordered Arthur to do anything he wanted, if he himself said he wanted something... or understand why he was even caring about how Arthur felt physically or emotionally. He wasn't complaining, surely not! That was good-- that was extremely good! But different, and made him kind of confused. It was just some sort of strange sweetness which Arthur was grateful for, but at the same time wasn't sure of it.

He hoped that dinner would be able to give him responses, and not only mess things up even more...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYY!! AM I GOING TO SLOW?-- Well, things will start to get quite interesting between them in the next chapters, so don't worry about it uwu Arthur just needs to take his time, and luckily Alfred is comprehensive enough to understand that and give him so.
> 
> Thanks for reading, though! This is really important for me. I would be grateful if you guys could leave kudos and a comment if you liked-- it doesn't need to be anything big, even just a thing as "I liked it" is already enough. You don't have idea of how comments give me motivation.  
> Anyway, any updates, things related to the fics or usukish things will be posted on my Tumblr: engwaand

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are really appreciated, as they give me motivation to write. ^^' So, if you liked the story, leave kudos or a review!  
> Leave comments even if you don't have anything to say; even just an emoji and 'I liked the story' is appreciated uwu  
> Any updates or news will be posted on my Tumblr: engwaand  
> See ya!


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